Raizou Nakajima
is a supporting character in the Macross Zero OVA. He is part of the maintenance crew aboard the CVN-99 Asuka II serving as the chief engineer responsible for overseeing repair, maintenance and modifications of the VF-0A Phoenix prototype variable fighter. Personality & Character On the surface, Raizou appears to be a short-tempered person. He is often found yelling at newbie pilots for messing up Variable Fighters, forcing the mechanics to pull several all-night repair works. Even so, he is secretly glad that there are a few of them who can push the machine to the limit. Beneath his gruff exterior, Raizou is a hopeless romantic at heart and respects crazy pilots willing to risk their lives for a beloved woman, showing it in kind by decking out their VF-0s in full-battle gear. Skills & Abilities As a veteran mechanic and chief engineer, he knows the ins and outs of all kinds of aircraft, ranging from conventional fighter jets to Variable Fighters. Just one glance at the engine and he knows whether or not it needs intensive repair, replacement or tuning. History Raizou is first seen in the hangar bay of the CVN-99 Asuka II, performing the final checks to the VF-0 units before their first-ever flight. While talking to Roy Focker, the mechanic warns him that these "slender beauties" are considerable gas-guzzlers since they are fitted with tuned-up jet engines instead of the intended thermonuclear ones that didn't make it in time. When Roy promises to take care of the units, Raizou brushes that statement off, knowing fully well that Roy isn't the gentle type when it comes to aircraft, much less women. Raizou also laments the lack of experienced pilots capable of using the VF-0 to full capacity, since the long-drawn-out Unification Wars claimed the lives of a significant number of good men. Except for Roy, all the assigned VF-0 pilots are totally green. After Shin Kudō joined the Skull Squadron, he almost always got an earful from Raizou whenever training ends since his impulsive actions ostensibly put a major strain on the VF-0's engine, with the chief engineer even going as far as telling the young pilot that his handling of the unit lacks "love". But through Roy, Shin finds out that Raizou is actually ecstatic that the engine is being worked to its limits, getting him excited to see how far it can go. Shin and Roy later set out to rescue Sara Nome and Aries Turner from the Anti-U.N. Forces. To this end, Raizou went all out on their VF-0 units: tuning the engines to the max and outfitting them with Ghost Boosters plus a voluminous missile payload, a modification that came to be known as the VF-0 Phoenix "Angel". Raizou is last seen sending them off. Gallery MZero Nakajima01.jpg|Raizou talking to Roy about how majority of the VF-0 pilots are greenhorns. MZero Nakajima02.jpg|Raizou Nakajima & Roy Focker. MZero NakajimaTOP.jpg|Raizou yelling at Shin for overworking the VF-0's engine. MZero Nakajima.jpg|Raizou sending Shin and Roy off. MZero Nakajima03.jpg|Raizou musing to himself. Notes & Trivia *Nakajima was the name of a Japanese aircraft manufacturing company during WWII. After the war, they were reformed into Fuji Heavy Industries, which is now known as Subaru. *Raizou's familial relationship to Makina Nakajima from ''Macross Δ was unclear prior, but their connection was eventually confirmed in its theatrical adaptation, [https://macross.fandom.com/wiki/Macross%20%CE%94%20Movie%3A%20Passionate%20Walk%C3%BCre Macross Δ Movie: Passionate Walküre]. Makina is Raizou's great-granddaughter. References External Links *Macross Zero Wiki Category:Macross Zero Category:Macross Zero Characters